Variation on a Theme of Békésy: A Model of Binaural Interaction

Abstract

The model of binaural interaction proposed by Békésy in 1930 which has received very little attention in modern theories is re-examined the light of recent anatomical and physiological findings. A modified model is proposed in which time and intensity are mapped independent of each other in the accessory nuclei of the superior olive; excitatory and inhibitory neural signals interact at the accessory nucleus neurons, giving rise to time-intensity trade. The behavior of the model is in qualitative accord with psychophysical and physiological observations.